July Update

Despite the purdah period leading up to the General Election on July 4th, council business continued as usual, and July turned out to be a very busy month. As a newly elected member, it was a privilege to be invited to the Senior Leadership Team meeting of Social Services. It was incredibly helpful to meet the faces behind the emails and learn more about how I can support the community from a safeguarding perspective. The team is truly dedicated and compassionate, making a significant difference in the lives of many vulnerable people in Flintshire.

I also attended the Housing Strategy briefing. Housing is a challenging issue to tackle due to the limited supply. There are many contributing factors to this shortage, but the meeting highlighted the extensive planning and creative thinking that have gone into developing a long-term plan. This plan aims to ensure we have sufficient housing stock to meet the needs of the future.

In addition, there was a Climate Change Strategy workshop this month, which was an important step in addressing the pressing environmental challenges we face.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Wendy Rawling from Home-Start Wales. We discussed how Home-Start could better meet the needs of parents with young children in our area. Our conversation focused on group support for families in rural areas who may experience isolation. Wendy was also interested in exploring whether future stay-and-play groups could help pre-school children prepare for school, especially in light of the setbacks caused by COVID-19. There are several community spaces across the ward, and I hope Home-Start will consider them when planning their next series of support groups.

Another highlight of the month was my first visit to Halkyn Library. What a fantastic space with a real community vibe! I enjoyed a cup of tea and some great conversations with the regulars. Marilyn kindly showed me the children's books, and I’ll definitely be bringing my boys this summer to enjoy some reading. While there, I met Sandra Donoghue, the Over-50s Activities Coordinator. She delivered the latest issue of "Codgers Quarterly," which is available in the library for anyone interested. Sandra also shared the schedule of over-50s events happening in Flintshire, and I’ve posted the local ones on this website. If you know someone who isn’t online and would like a paper copy, please let me know—I’m keen to reach those who may be digitally isolated.

It was wonderful to attend the official opening of the Rhes-y-Cae Village Hall kitchen. The event was well attended, with delicious cakes and engaging conversations. A big thank you to everyone who organised this fantastic event that brought our community together.

Lastly, I had the pleasure of attending the fantastic Halkyn Mountain Family Nature Day, organised by the Halkyn Mountain Nature Conservation Group. Despite the howling winds and rain, we thoroughly enjoyed the guided walk led by Colin and Mavis. We learned so much about the plants growing on the mountain and were thrilled to spot our first Bee Orchid. My boys had a great time participating in the nature treasure hunt in the hall and were delighted to win a bug hotel, which now has pride of place in our garden.

Bee Orchid near Halkyn